7 Software Engineering Skills for Today's Market

Informational technology has continued to advance to new heights, and with new technologies being invented, new software is needed to run them. To keep up with the evolving pace of technologies, software engineers need a repertoire of technical skills that can set them apart from the rest. The software engineering market is increasing. According to The Insight Partners, the market was valued at $25.6 billion in 2017 and is expected to rise 7.2% by 2025. With such a massive increase in the market value, it can be expected that new software engineering jobs will open up in the programming industry. Read here to find out what software engineering skills are required for you to succeed in a software engineering job in today's market.

What are Software Engineering Skills?

Software engineering skills are technical and soft skills that a software engineer must possess to create successful computer programs. A software engineer has many skills that make him successful in the industry, ranging from computer programming knowledge to problem-solving capabilities.

7 Technical Software Engineering Skills for Today's Market

The top technical skills needed by a software engineer are described below:

1. Computer Programming Language

A computer programming language is a set of numerical or alphabetical instructions a computer follows to carry out a task. Any software engineer should be familiar with a computer programming language. Still, in today's market, it is advised that you should be familiar with around two or three programming languages to stand out from the rest that applies for software engineering jobs. Read on, and reach out to EchoJobs about the best programming languages you can learn in 2022.

2. Software Development

Software development requires a skill set that allows programmers to create, design, and test a program based on the client's needs. Software development skills can be learned through online courses and relevant data and honed by practicing with actual systems.

3. Object-Oriented Design (OOD)

Object-oriented design involves using object-oriented programming that involves solving a problem within a program by breaking the program into smaller parts and analyzing each piece. Programmers know how frustrating it is when a small program can ruin the entire program and how hard it is to find. Object-oriented design works on four main principles:

• Abstraction: Only keeping relevant data about an object visible while every other data is hidden.
• Encapsulation: Bundle data into a single unit.
• Inheritance: Create a hierarchy between classes that share attributes and methods.
• Polymorphism: Accessing objects of different types through one interface

4. Source Control

Source Control Management (SCM) is a system that helps software engineers track updates and changes in the code. It also enables software engineers to work on codes separately and merge them. Companies prefer applicants that can work with source control because every employee will be given part of a program to work on, and the data is combined. Different source control systems that are mainly used are: Kubernetes Kubernetes is an open-source system that allows software engineers to deploy containers and kickstart their careers in roles like DevOps or Cloud engineers. Kafka Kafka, also known as Apache Kafka, is another open-source system that allows companies to manage data of dispersed systems in real-time. Kafka is a must-have skill for project managers and developers aiming to accelerate their careers. Ansible Ansible is a free, open-source automation tool that can help software engineers with complex tasks by allowing them to focus their attention on adding value to the program, increasing the efficiency of a programmer's work.

5. Software Containers

Software containers are software packages containing the elements necessary to run the program. They have information such as application codes, versions of the programs, runtime information, and libraries. Containers make it easy for software engineers to share computer memory, storage, and networks at an operational level and allow for easy extraction of programs. Some popular software container systems needed by software engineers are: Docker Docker containers enable software engineers to package an application and deliver it to the client. This skill is a must-have for software engineers who wish to excel in their careers and get good jobs. It allows programmers to write the code without worrying about the environment required by the application. Redux Redux containers are high in demand for applications that require JavaScript. Redux allows software engineers to write codes that can run in any environment and be tested quickly.

6. Testing

Software engineers need to be well equipped with testing their application once it is written and can be sent to the client. Testing applications involve using digital tools to ensure that the program fulfills the functioning and design requirements. Testing can be divided into three steps that software engineers need to be equipped with:

• Unit Testing involves evaluating individual lines of codes to determine modification requirements. It is a thorough but time-consuming testing step.
• Integration Testing: determines if different areas of a code can be merged successfully and how they interact.
• System Testing: involves external testing to determine if the program meets client expectations.

7. Debugging and Problem Solving

Debugging addresses and removes software code errors that prevent a program's proper functioning. The code is put through different software to observe the error. Software engineers must be familiar with such software and have the required problem-solving skills to correct these errors. Many software engineers tend to debug and fix their code as they write so that the program functions correctly during the testing process.

Conclusion

The skill set mentioned above is the required software engineering skills that can make you stand out and excel in today's market. Once you've mastered these skills, you will accelerate your career and get better-paying jobs. However, you might accept low-paying jobs unsuitable for your skill set. To avoid that, visit Echojobs and search for jobs based on your skill set.